LOVES PARK — A nonprofit group aims to bring Christmas to the Harlem School District’s neediest children.

Nearly 53 percent of students at Harlem schools are from low-income families, according to data from the Illinois Board of Education. Christmas for Kids, a Loves Park based nonprofit, has worked for the past six years to ensure disadvantaged students have presents to open.

Last year, the program allowed 238 Harlem elementary school students to spend $60 on toys, gifts or necessities like winter coats and gloves at Wal-Mart. Additional funds were used to provide gifts to children at Walter Lawson Childrens Home in Loves Park, MotherHouse Crisis Nursery in Rockford and Hand-N-Hand Child Care Center in Machesney Park, said Luke Meyer, owner of Rascal’s Bar & Grill and one of the fundraiser’s organizers.

“There are a lot of kids out there whose parents are having a hard time,” Meyer said. “We want to keep it local, as much as we can, that’s why we work with Harlem schools. As this grows, hopefully we’ll be able to expand it to some Rockford schools.”

The fundraiser will go from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Rascals Bar & Grill, 5223 Torque Road, Loves Park and features a silent auction and raffles. Raffle prizes include an iPad, 50” flat screen TV, gas grill and cash and gas cards. All proceeds go toward Christmas for Kids.

Donations of cash or check can be sent to Christmas for Kids care of Northwest Bank, 1100 Ralston Road, Machesney Park. Gifts or donations for the auction can be delivered to Rascals Bar & Grill. Donations are tax deductible.

Meyer said Christmas for Kids was started six years ago to follow in the footsteps of a tradition Don and Roberta Elmore started with Loves Park Kids for Christmas. The couple had organized the benefit for about a decade, until Don died in 2007 at age 71.